Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Governor Phil Scott of Vermont signed a bill in May that blocks pro-life pregnancy centers from what the legislature calls false and misleading advertising about services.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents a coalition of pro-life pregnancy centers, said the law “censors the centers’ ability to advertise their free services. Second, it precludes centers from offering services, information, and counseling unless provided by a licensed health-care provider.”
ADF said the law is vague and applies only to facilities that don’t kill babies or refer women for abortions.
It does not define what might violate the law and provides no guidance as to how that standard should be applied. For example, one witness during a legislative hearing suggested that even naming a pregnancy center “The Women’s Center” could violate the law, claiming that a name like that is too neutral and implies it offers abortions.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, ending almost 50 years of court-made law that usurped the power of states to decide the issue. States like Vermont are targeting pro-life pregnancy centers that seek to protect the voiceless and the vulnerable unborn. That much is clear.
“Women who become unexpectedly pregnant should be empowered with life-affirming options, emotional support, and practical resources,” said ADF Legal Counsel Julia Payne. “Vermont’s law, however, does the opposite—it impedes women’s ability to receive critical services during a difficult time in their lives and suppresses the free-speech rights of faith-based pregnancy centers. Pregnancy centers should be free to serve women and offer the support they need without fear of unjust government punishment.”
Photo credit: Alliance Defending Freedom
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